Ranking the Biggest Trade Targets After the 2026 NHL Draft
The 2026 NHL Draft is history.
It was a weekend in which 224 of this year's top prospects took their first steps toward becoming big league players. Of that group, fewer than 50 will go on to NHL careers.
Speaking of NHL players, several notable stars were on the move in the trade market during the past week. They included Brady Tkachuk going to the Florida Panthers, while Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch joining the Washington Capitals.
The trades continued on the opening day of the NHL Draft. Pavel Dorofeyev went to the New York Rangers, JJ Peterka was shipped to the Boston Bruins, and Mason McTavish joined the St. Louis Blues.
Some noteworthy players who appeared on our latest NHL Trade Block Big Board have yet to be moved despite frequent trade speculation. They include stars such as Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski, and Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson.
With the lack of talent in the upcoming free-agent market starting on July 1, some of those trade targets could still be available. Here's our ranking of the biggest names out there.
7. Matthew Knies, Toronto Maple Leafs
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Trade rumors have dogged Matthew Knies since the March trade deadline. It's made the 23-year-old Toronto Maple Leafs winger part of our NHL Trade Block Big Boards, checking in at No. 10 on our previous board. Knies is under contract through 2030-31 with an average annual value of $7.75 million.
A change of management for the Maple Leafs hasn't dispelled the trade rumors. On June 25, new Leafs general manager John Chayka acknowledged Knies' value in the trade market, but he felt that moving the young power forward would hurt the club in the short term.
Knies featured prominently in the rumor mill leading up to the recent NHL Draft. On June 24, Sportsnet's Luke Fox reported the Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, and Montrรฉal Canadiens were among the teams believed to have expressed interest in the big Leafs winger.
The passage of the draft makes it more unlikely that the Leafs will consider moving Knies. Any offers of picks would have to be in future drafts. Nevertheless, there could be teams willing to offer up prospects and young players as trade bait.
6. Vincent Trocheck, New York Rangers
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After being atop our NHL Trade Block Big Boards since February, Vincent Trocheck dropped to No. 2 on our previous board. Nevertheless, the New York Rangers remain open to trade offers for the 32-year-old center, who has three years left on his contract with an affordable annual cap hit of $5.63 million.
Peter Baugh and Vincent Z. Mercogliano reported that Rangers general manager Chris Drury still hopes to get a young NHL player as part of a package return for Trocheck. They noted that the Minnesota Wild had faded as a potential destination, but felt there could be others in the market for a second-line center.
Trocheck has a 12-team no-trade list, which drops to 10 teams on July 1. He's indicated his preference is to play for Eastern clubs. Baugh and Mercogliano suggested the Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Toronto Maple Leafs as possibilities.
The entry of Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin into the trade market was what pushed Trocheck into No. 2 on our previous trade board. It could also explain why the Rangers have yet to get suitable trade offers. They might have to wait until Larkin is moved before the market for Trocheck improves.
5. Kirill Marchenko, Columbus Blue Jackets
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On June 24, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reported that teams were calling the Columbus Blue Jackets about Kirill Marchenko. The 25-year-old winger has led the Blue Jackets in goals in each of the last three seasons. Portzline indicated the Jackets weren't shopping Marchenko and wanted to keep him.
Two days later, ESPN's Kevin Weekes reported the Marchenko camp had informed him that their client didn't intend to sign an extension with the Blue Jackets. He has a year left on his contract with a cap hit of $3.9 million and will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next July.
Weekes indicated that Marchenko would seek a deal comparable to Pavel Dorofeyev's new contract with the New York Rangers. After the Rangers acquired Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday, they signed him to a seven-year contract worth an average annual value of $11 million.
On Thursday, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported the Montrรฉal Canadiens were among the teams inquiring about Marchenko, but the Jackets wouldn't part with him. That might have changed given what's gone down since then, but the Canadiens won't be the only team interested in the Blue Jackets winger.
4. Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings
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After 11 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, Dylan Larkin submitted a trade request to management earlier this month. That vaulted the 29-year-old center to the top of our recent NHL Trade Block Big Board.
Larkin's frustration over the club's decade-long postseason drought and his growing tensions with general manager Steve Yzerman factored into his decision. His initial request has three teams as destinations, but it's believed his camp is open to expanding that list.
A skilled two-way center with leadership ability, the Red Wings captain has four years left on his contract with an average annual value of $8.7 million and a full no-movement clause. He's a consistent performer, coming off his fifth-straight 30-goal season and sixth consecutive season with 67-plus points.
The Minnesota Wild were reportedly on Larkin's list of preferred destinations. Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic report Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin is still pursuing a trade for the Red Wings center.
3. Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars
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Uncertainty over whether the Dallas Stars could afford to re-sign restricted free agent Jason Robertson earned the 26-year-old winger the No. 12 spot on our June 1 NHL Trade Block Big Board. We dropped him from our subsequent board as the speculation subsided.
Robertson has since made headlines after Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that he rejected a sign-and-trade scenario that would've sent him to the Seattle Kraken. According to Friedman, the Kraken offered an eight-year contract worth an average annual value of $15 million.
One of this decade's highest-scoring forwards, Robertson would be a welcome addition to any club's scoring lines. If a trade cannot be worked out, an interested team could attempt to sign him to an offer sheet.
TSN's Pierre LeBrun believes Robertson prefers to remain with the Stars, but the two sides remain far apart in negotiations. The winger prefers $14 million annually, but the Stars aren't comfortable going too far over $12 million.
2. Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets
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On June 2, Zach Werenski won the James Norris Memorial Trophy for the first time. He also became the first Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman to receive this honor. Three weeks later, reports emerged suggesting that his future in Columbus could end before his contract does in 2028.
Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on June 23 that Werenski would meet with Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell after the NHL Draft to discuss his future. Three days later, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported the 28-year-old blueliner was unlikely to sign an extension with the Jackets next summer.
LeBrun indicated that Waddell had been gauging Werenski's value in the trade market. He speculated the Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, and Carolina Hurricanes might become suitors. Others could include the Anaheim Ducks, Detroit Red Wings, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Waddell can afford to take his time evaluating trade offers. Nevertheless, this is a gut punch for the Blue Jackets, who considered Werenski to be their foundation player as they attempted to build into a playoff contender. Whatever return they receive won't adequately replace a player of his magnitude.
1. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
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Media speculation regarding Connor Hellebuyck's future with the Winnipeg Jets earned him the No. 18 spot on our previous NHL Trade Block Big Board. Since then, the buzz has grown amid reports claiming the Jets were listening to trade offers for the 33-year-old goaltender.
Hellebuyck surfaced in the rumor mill this spring after expressing frustration about his performance and of the Jets this season. After winning the Presidents' Trophy in 2024-25, they didn't qualify for the 2026 playoffs. He's signed through 2030-31 with an annual cap hit of $8.5 million.
A three-time Vezina Trophy winner, Hellebucyk wants to win the Stanley Cup after backstopping the United States' Olympic men's hockey team to Olympic gold in February. On Friday, Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff confirmed receiving trade offers, but declined to say if Hellebuyck requested a trade.
TSN's Darren Dreger reported the Jets were in "deep negotiations" with the Buffalo Sabres, but those talks cooled off before the draft. Given the remaining term on Hellebuyck's contract, Cheveldayoff can afford to be patient and wait for the right offer.
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